Conference themes are a tricky thing. When the theme is especially catchy, presenters and attendees cling to it with fervor, peppering their phrases with the keywords until at the end of a long weekend, you’ve become distracted by too many helpings of radical and craft.

But Art Center’s Mark Breitenberg took the stage late Friday with a explanation that we wish we had heard earlier on (and indeed, a version was found within our hard copy programs):

“Radical, of course, also means “root,” and is thus an ideal partner for “craft”: the very root of making.”

So the inferred meaning of the word radical is actually closer in meaning to “radish,” something Erin McKean confirmed later on. “Stories from the Source,” the subhead featured not-so-prominently on conference materials would be the way we’d rather describe this perfectly-executed lineup of experts sharing the roots of their craft.

Full UnBeige coverage of the Art Center Design Conference can be found here.